Digital Yacht iKonvert (ISO) Gateway

1. Introduction

Congratulations on the purchase of your iKonvert (ISO) Gateway. This product is designed to allow NMEA0183 devices to either send data to or receive data from an NMEA2000 network. With more and more equipment moving to the newer NMEA2000 interfacing standard, it is very common for boats to have a mixture of NMEA0183 and NMEA2000 equipment onboard. iKonvert allows the safe and accurate bi-directional conversion of data between the two NMEA formats.

There is no standard wiring colours or connector for NMEA0183 systems, so the NMEA0183 ISO cable of the iKonvert just has bare ended wires for connecting to other NMEA0183 equipment. Making these wiring connections requires a level of practical ability and electrical knowledge and if you are not comfortable with electrics/electronics, we recommend you have the converter installed by a professional installer/dealer.

Before operating the unit you should also familiarise yourself again with the user manual of the NMEA2000 and NMEA0183 equipment that you will be using iKonvert with. Pay particular attention to the NMEA2000 or NMEA0183 Interfacing Menu options and any other settings that need to be configured for correct operation.

2. Before You Start

You can extend the ISO cable of the iKonvert converter using any reasonable quality multi-core cable. Security Alarm cabling is usually a good choice and we would recommend using screened cable, particularly at the higher 38400 baud rate. The cable screen should only be grounded at the NMEA0183 device – not at both ends of the cable.

To install and test the iKonvert (ISO) converter you will need:

• Suitable tools and connectors to connect the iKonvert to the NMEA2000 network
• Suitable tools and connectors to connect the iKonvert to the NMEA0183 device
• M3 or M4 screws or other fixings appropriate to the mounting location
• Installation manual for the NMEA0183 device that shows wire colours and how it should wired to other devices

3. Installation

Before starting installation select a suitable location for the iKonvert. The unit is water resistant; however it should be installed below deck in a dry location. When locating the unit you should consider:

• Routing of NMEA2000 and NMEA0183 cables to the unit
• Provision of sufficient space around the unit for comfortable cable routing.
• Maintaining the compass safe distance of 0.5m

3.1 Connecting to NMEA2000 Network

• The iKonvert has an integral NMEA2000 cable terminated with a male connector that is designed to connect straight into a standard NMEA2000 network via a spare “T-Piece”. If you are creating a new NMEA2000 network, then you may wish to consider Digital Yacht's NMEA2000 Starter Kit, that provides all of the cables, connectors and terminators required for a basic NMEA2000 network.
• iKonvert takes its power and data from the NMEA2000 network.
• If you are connecting iKonvert to a non-standard NMEA2000 network, then a suitable adaptor cable will need to be sourced from the relevant manufacturer:
• SeaTalkNG (Raymarine P/No A06045)
• Simnet (Simrad P/No 24006199)

3.2 Mounting

The iKonvert Gateway has two slotted 4mm Diameter fixing holes. Use suitable fixings (not supplied) to fix the converter to a flat surface. The unit may be installed in any orientation. The physical dimensions are approximately 170mm width, 66.3mm height, and 57.8mm depth, with a base width of 50.0mm.

3.3 ISO Connection

The iKonvert Gateway (ISO) has an integral 1m ISO cable that can be wired to NMEA0183 devices. The connection methods depend on the NMEA0183 device type.

Differential (Two Wire) Connections

This is the more common connection type where the device has separate Input+ and Input- or Output+ and Output- (referred to as A and B). The iKonvert ISO cable wires are as follows:

• Red: Not Used
• Black: Not Used
• Orange: NMEA A (+)
• Brown: NMEA B (-)
• Yellow: NMEA A (+)
• Green: NMEA B (-)

This is typically used with equipment like Raymarine, Navico, etc.

Common Ground (Single Wire) Connection

This older connection type reduces the number of wires by using a single Input or Output connection, relying on both pieces of equipment sharing a common DC ground (Negative Battery Supply).

The iKonvert ISO cable wires for this connection are:

• Red: Not Used
• Black: Not Used
• Orange: NMEA IN (+)
• Brown: NMEA OUT (+)
• Yellow: Not Used
• Green: DC Ground (-)

This is typically used with equipment like Garmin.

4. Operation

4.1 Operating Modes

The iKonvert Gateway supports various operating modes configurable via four internal DIP switches. To access them, unscrew the two cross-head screws on the base. By default, iKonvert is set to Mode 0 (all DIP switches OFF), converting common GPS/Nav/Instrument data at 4800 baud.

Select the required mode via the DIP switches for specific conversions (e.g., Wind, Heading) or higher baud rates. After setting the switches, power cycle the unit (OFF, wait 2 seconds, ON) for the new mode to take effect.

Table of iKonvert Conversion Modes (V3.16 Firmware or higher)

Examples of Use

• Example 1: Connecting an older DSC VHF requiring GPS data in NMEA0183 format. Set iKonvert to GPS (1Hz) Mode.
• Example 2: Connecting an AIS unit with NMEA0183 output to a Chart Plotter with only NMEA2000 interface. Set iKonvert to AIS Mode.
• Example 3: Converting all NMEA2000 data to NMEA0183 for navigation software that only supports NMEA0183. Set iKonvert to Gateway HS Mode.

Conversions are bi-directional. For software applications that read NMEA2000 PGNs, the "RAW Data" Mode encapsulates NMEA2000 binary PGN data into proprietary NMEA0183 sentences. To enable this mode, set all DIP switches to "ON". Data will be available in proprietary sentences at 230400 baud.

Digital Yacht will release firmware updates and manual revisions as new modes are added.

4.2 LED Behaviour

The iKonvert Gateway has four LEDs:

4.3 Further Information

iKonvert is available in two versions:

• USB version: For PCs, Macs, Raspberry Pi, and LINUX computers.
• ISO version: With an opto-isolated NMEA0183 interface for dedicated hardware.

Both versions use the same firmware and support various NMEA0183 conversion modes, including the "RAW Data" mode for developers. This mode is compatible with CANBoat and the Node Signal K server.

For the latest Developer's Guide, Firmware, and technical information, visit the dedicated GitHub site: https://github.com/digitalyacht/iKonvert 

For technical support, email: support@digitalyacht.co.uk ✉️